International convention center, Patna

Abstract

Patna is a city on its rise. To promote economic and social development in the city the state government has been inviting industries and educational institutes in the city to further promote the city as a city of evolution, the present and the future promises of a city. Convention Centres are needed in a knowledge society for holding national and international conferences, seminars, symposia, brainstorming sessions, business meets and facilities for holding big or small political and social meets as well. But presently, no modern Convention facility exists in Patna today. Conferences are held in Hotel as they provide banqueting facilities the only other convention space in the city is the Shri Krishna Memorial Hall which was built in 1976 and has a seating capacity of 2000. The auditorium was thrown open to public in 1993. With an exception of 2008 the hall has not been renovated once in the last 5 years [1]. It is in pretty bad shape and lacks any modern facility required for a modern exhibition or conference. There are no provisions for standard lighting or interior thermal comfort. Hence, during the last few years when the state tried to attract investors for the betterment of the state a dire need for a convention center was deeply felt by the people and the authorities today. While designing the convention centre functionality was the major aspect of thought as we are designing a building for a high footfall. With the functionality a great deal of attention was paid to the interior and exterior open spaces such as plazas and central courtyards as one of the major ideas behind the design was to bring people together especially in the open spaces; as in the Indian context landscapes are not just sustainability features but social spaces. Sustainability in the project is achieved in the project through landscapes, passive techniques and through a holistic technical approach as suggested by LEED without compromising with the indoor environment required for a convention centre.